


Cutlass Confrontation

by fab_fan



Series: Through the Years [5]
Category: Motherland: Fort Salem (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, F/F, Happy Ending, Historical, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, No Idea Where This Came From, One Shot, Pirates, Random & Short, Short, Short One Shot, The Author Regrets Nothing, The Royal Navy, Whoever asked if I was going to hit every decade you have opened up a blackhole of writing doom, author might regret some things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 07:09:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26469229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fab_fan/pseuds/fab_fan
Summary: With a quick skip to her step, Surgeon’s Mate Raelle Collar nimbly descended the creaky plank, hiking her canvas sack a bit higher up her blue wool clothed shoulder, the few clothes secured inside were little more than ratty strips of linen after enduring months of harsh weather. The flickering lights of the town beckoned her weary body, and she tightened her grip on the strap wound down her chest at the thought of a bit of drink, a bite of food, and a good night’s rest without the spectre of phantom ships and unknown dangers lurking about.The first foot on land was a bit unsteady, her mind and body automatically beginning to sway with the nonexistent sea underfoot. The gentle lapping of the water behind her against the wooden hull of the ship both bid her a fond farewell and offered her a return to the normalcy of a life and world that had been her own for over a year. A world where the decks were sprayed with salt and sand and her aching bones were rocked to sleep in the cradle of a hammock in the lower deck.
Relationships: Raelle Collar/Scylla Ramshorn
Series: Through the Years [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2065368
Comments: 15
Kudos: 117





	Cutlass Confrontation

**Author's Note:**

> I sat down to write a different story, and this magically appeared on the open blank doc. So...here you go. Sorry not sorry...maybe a little sorry. I have no idea where this came from.

With a quick skip to her step, Surgeon’s Mate Raelle Collar nimbly descended the creaky plank, hiking her canvas sack a bit higher up her blue wool clothed shoulder, the few clothes secured inside were little more than ratty strips of linen after enduring months of harsh weather. The flickering lights of the town beckoned her weary body, and she tightened her grip on the strap wound down her chest at the thought of a bit of drink, a bite of food, and a good night’s rest without the spectre of phantom ships and unknown dangers lurking about.

The first foot on land was a bit unsteady, her mind and body automatically beginning to sway with the nonexistent sea underfoot. The gentle lapping of the water behind her against the wooden hull of the ship both bid her a fond farewell and offered her a return to the normalcy of a life and world that had been her own for over a year. A world where the decks were sprayed with salt and sand and her aching bones were rocked to sleep in the cradle of a hammock in the lower deck. 

A swift breeze, smelling of musty filth and sweet seduction, wafted through the port, tapping the brim of her hat that she’d been traded for a sewing kit and forcing her to smack it back into place with a quick snap of her wrist. Hearing the rumble of Master Quartermaine's distinct vocals a handful of paces behind her, she quickened her step, ducking her head down and picking her way around the other sailors disembarking the HMS Dodger, some with their sights set on Fort Salem, others ready to spend their pay at Salem Town’s local establishments. 

The night was brighter than most, the town’s lamp fires mixing with the moon and stars to light the way. Far different from the open seas Raelle had found herself taking watch over when her rotation came about and far different from the little town of Cession that she spent her early years in before being whisked away, much as her mother had, to distant lands in the service of crown and country. From a far different life promised her before the navy claimed her as their own.

Tugging her blue frock further around her slim frame, whittled down yet stronger than the last time she sought refuge onshore, she ambled along the path, the dirt crunching under her scuffed boots that were in need of a good polish. Perhaps she might spend a few coins she was already in debt with the purser for on a new pair, or, at least, find someone who could help mend the hole starting to widen in the heel. Supplies were limited onboard, and what was available cost much beyond the means of any mariner flying under the crown’s flag, causing many to run debts so high they may be working till their death simply to strike their name from the purser’s ledger. There was also nary a time to port throughout their tenure at sea, what with the abundance of pirates sailing nearby, their objective to apprehend any and all who sailed under the flag of the Spree, the notorious fleet partaking in piracy and chaos, sending them into endless battles and continuous days and nights praying for a good solid wind to fill their sails and speed them along on Commodore Alder’s ordered mission.

Her hands still ached with sore exhaustion from doling out bandages and nursing the sick, assisting Surgeon Wick as she attempted to do what she could to save the wounded and stave away death. At times, Raelle had found herself performing tasks far above her station, digging out shrapnel and deciding who could be saved, whispering words of comfort as she bent over a convulsing body, using little more than a thread and needle to repair a broken soul. A body, a soul, who was a person, a friend, a fellow seawoman who looked up at her with desperate haunted eyes, begging for help, for relief, for something other than the pain and fear surrounding them all.

Shaking away the memories, Raelle turned down a street, ignoring the muffled singing and cheers coming from the tavern, most occupants already imbibed enough to welcome a stranger onto their lap and pretend like it was Beltane. The thought of a woman who was nothing more than a warm hand clenched in her hair and a pair of foreign lips against her own as they rocked together didn’t send the bolt of lustful anticipation and pleasure it might have before.

She scoffed at herself.

What a fool she was.

Had been. Continued to be.

She mentally kicked herself, but what could she do?

The dull ache in her chest refused to leave her be. Refused to go away no matter how long she stayed awake, busying herself with assorting medicines and volunteering for night time watches. Refused to leave her no matter how much rum and brandy she consumed or what she told herself, what her mates told her, her commanding officers. 

Because, who else but a fool would still harbor such feelings for someone who never felt the same?

Who had done little more than seduce under the pretense of love when it was only betrayal?

Who said words that were lies when Raelle proclaimed vows that still filled her soul with yearning, a loyalty never earned though much too easily given?

Damn her and her naïveté. Her...need to believe in the unbelievable. To want what was never hers to have. 

To fall under the spell of a woman with eyes the color of Poseidon and Neptune's luminous home and the heart of a hypnotizing siren. 

To love a woman who saw her as only a means to an end, a useful tool, a mockery.

Gritting her teeth and willing her mind free of all thoughts, Raelle looked down at her boots, watching the way the mud began to splotch across the threadbare leather, stitching cracked and beginning to tear open, her own attempts to keep them intact relenting to the pressure of time and wear. She was in much need of a new pair, but the navy paid below the wages earned by others and rarely provided the full amount owed, citing taxes placed by certain officers wishing to earn more than their share and a lack of funds because of continuous wars.

She didn’t see the feminine hand reach out of the shadows until she was unceremoniously dragged to the side and into an alleyway, her cry of surprise muffled as she was shoved into a wall and a mouth covered her own.

The familiar taste of sweet cream and the scent of flowers overtook her senses.

A daring tongue swept across her bottom lip. A soft body pushed into her, fingers curling around the back of her neck and a palm slipping beneath her coat, possessively grasping her hip.

Goddess help her, Raelle kissed back.

Lips moved together, hungry, demanding, pliant, wanting and needing and tasting of hope and longing. Raelle tilted her head, allowing her attacker to deepen the kiss, a low moan vibrating in the back of her throat as hips slotted against her own and rocked forward.

Raelle’s lungs burned for air, but she didn’t care, aware only of the way teeth nipped at her bottom lip and fingertips caressed the nape of her neck, soothing and seducing at the same time.

She blindly wove her hands into thick luscious brunette locks, thumb smoothing along a beautiful cheek, urging her closer. 

Fingers swiped across the edge of her breeches, causing her hips to jump. The kiss broke, mouths panting as foreheads met, Raelle’s mind drunk and lost like a bottle in a hurricane, tossed about with no way of knowing up from down, a haze of dizzying lightness. Simply knowing this was right.

This felt right.

Gasping for air and feeling her partner’s breaths brush across her bruised lips, Raelle’s lashes fluttered, her stomach clenching . She could feel the tension in the other woman. The anxiety. 

The want.

The power.

Raelle wanted to fall into it. Lose herself. Forget everything and give in once again.

She couldn’t.

“Scylla.” Raelle exhaled, fighting back a shiver as blunt nails scratched tenderly at the base of her skull, petting the fine hairs revealed by short braids.

“Welcome back.” Scylla whispered, Raelle unable to tell if there was a wickedness or a trembling uncertainty in the tone.

Or, perhaps, she knew, but would not allow herself to see it for what it was.

Regaining a semblance of control, Raelle pushed her away and hardened her gaze as it finally took in the woman she had not seen since before her last voyage.

Scylla Ramshorn stood before her, hair tangled from wanton hands and cutlass strapped to her side. Gleaming dark blue eyes and alluring intelligent mouth. Loose white shirt with a deep crimson waistcoat and shiny gold buttons. Black breeches and a familiar looking trinket pinned to her chest, a gift that Raelle had spent more time and coin on than she could spare, something to present to her lover with the hopes it would bring her peace of mind and a touch of protection when Raelle was not on land.

Scylla Ramshorn.

Looking like the woman who had first approached Raelle one day outside of the Fort, full of challenge and playfulness that drew Raelle in and had her following the older woman. Caught her imagining a life where she could tenderly worship the curves hidden from sight and provide the safety and comfort she knew her lover never had before.

Scylla Ramshorn.

Looking every bit the Spree pirate she had turned out to be.

Scylla seemed to sigh at the coldness seeping into the stare, “You did not read my letter.”

Raelle snorted derisively. “I read your letter. I am quite capable of reading contrary to many a thought about those from the Cession.”

Scylla rolled her eyes, “That was not what I meant.”

Raelle locked her jaw, “What you meant was that you came to my bed, allowed me into yours, because you wanted an idiot who would gladly allow a pirate into the secrets of the royal navy. Who would tell you everything you and your cohorts wished to know so you could continue to pillage and murder.”

Scylla’s back straightened, her chin jutting out, “That is not true, and that is not what my letter said.”

“Of course not. Why would you write a letter if not to fill it with lies?”

“It was not a lie!” Scylla snapped. The blue of her eyes darkened, emotion bubbling in her voice, “I fell in love with you, Raelle. Yes, it started as a lie. But...I fell in love with you. You are you, and how could I not?”

Raelle shook her head angrily, “You did not love me. You only wanted…”

“I wanted you!” Scylla cut her off. “I wanted you. I wanted everything we spoke of.” She leaned forward but stopped as Raelle shrunk back. Her mouth trembled as a bit of desperate tearfulness coated her words, “I fell in love with you. I love you. I swear.”

Raelle looked away.

“Raelle, please,” a hand reached out, hovering over her arm, “I never lied about my feelings for you. I could not, even if I wished to. I am in love with you.”

Raelle swallowed roughly, her throat bobbing as she looked anywhere but her former lover, “You should leave before I inform Master Quartermaine of your whereabouts.”

“Raelle, please.”

“I suspect Commodore Alder would be most pleased with the capture of an enemy sailor. I do not believe the conditions of your imprisonment would be very appealing.”

Scylla finally wrapped her hand around her arm, holding firm as Raelle tensed, “Then, arrest me.”

Raelle’s eyes whipped over to her.

“Arrest me.” Scylla repeated. “If the only way to prove my feelings for you is to hang from the gallows, then so be it.”

“You…” Raelle blinked, mouth twisting in scornfully worry, “you’re being an idiot.”

“And you’re being an ass.” Scylla shot back. 

Raelle pushed away from the wall, “You have the nerve to…”

“You know how I feel about you.” Scylla didn’t back down. “You know it. I was meant to take you with me. To bring you to the Spree. And, I didn’t. I chose you, Raelle. I love you, and I chose you. Do not pretend it’s not true.” She searched her eyes, looking for the warmth and trust that used to shine so bright, now trapped behind a shield of a ruse of hate, “I left because it wasn’t safe for you. I left because I wanted to protect you. Leaving you alone in that bed that morning, writing that letter to you, was the hardest thing I have ever done. I walked away from the woman I love because I couldn’t imagine being the reason for you to come to any harm.”

Raelle pressed her lips together firmly, hands fisting at her sides.

It had been the worst morning of her life.

She had gone to sleep with Scylla wrapped in her arms.

And woken up with her arms empty and a letter on the pillow, Master’s Mate Craven and Master Quartermaine bursting in with blades drawn, Midshipman Bellweather on their heels, prepared to confront the woman already long gone.

“You’re Spree.” Raelle ground out.

“You know as well as I do that the royal navy is not the paragon of peace and propriety it claims to be.” 

“You kill people.”

“And you haven’t?” 

Raelle bit her lip, the echoes of death ringing in her ears.

“There is no good or evil. Not in this world.” Scylla hesitantly touched her face, tracing the outline of her cheek, “Your navy conscripts sailors into service, forcing innocent people to spend their lives under a lie. Last month a ship carrying food meant for the Tarim Islands was intercepted and told they were performing piracy and all onboard were forced to become soldiers. To sail under the navy’s flag. Simply for wishing to bring food! You say we only care about ourselves. Your officers receive payment, gold and silver and positions amongst the court, for every pirate or foreign enemy ship destroyed or captured.”

It was true. Raelle could not deny it.

Every ship they were able to tally in the ledger was a ship that put gold in their Commander’s pocket. That garnered favor with the king and queen. 

“You are as much a pirate as I am, Raelle Collar. I simply admit to it.”

Raelle rubbed at her nose, “And what is it you wish from me? What is it you want? Why are you here?”

“I want you. I wish for you. I am here for you.” She cupped her jaw, “I am asking for you to choose me.”

Raelle licked her lips, blinking rapidly, “You want me to run away? To...join the Spree?”

“I want you to be with me.” A tremulous grin, “We can finally go to that beach we always spoke of.”

The beach far away from Salem Town. Distant from responsibilities and duties and a life of service to a government that had not one whit of concern for those in a station held by the couple. A station far below those of wealth and privilege.

“What would we do there?”

“Live our lives.”

Raelle allowed the words, the idea, to bounce around in her mind, tickling and teasing in its hopefulness.

“I love you, Raelle. You once said we should run away. Leave this all behind.” She grasped her hand, bringing scraped knuckles still painted with the ghosts of blood and grime to her mouth, and pressed a delicate kiss to each, “We can be whoever we want to be. We could purchase our own vessel and explore distant lands. We could settle on the coast of the continent and raise sheep and pigs and have a garden. We could watch the sunrise together every morning. I could touch you every night.” She held a kiss to the back of her hand, “You told me we could have all of these things. If only I would agree to it. I am now telling you the same. We could have all of these things, and I agree to it. You have always said such sweet things to me, Raelle. Allow me to do the same to you until we both begin to say such sweet things to each other again. Let me be in love with you until you love me again.”

Raelle pulled her hand back, instead cradling it against the curve of Scylla’s face, “I have always loved you, Scylla.” 

“Then, be mine and let me be yours.”

Raelle studied her, eyes flickering back and forth. Scylla met her gaze, silently promising she was speaking the truth. Afraid that Raelle would not believe her. Not trust her. Not want her.

That she would be left to live a life pining for someone who she once had and lost.

Knowing she would spend her life being Raelle’s, even if Raelle never was hers again.

The brunette gasped quietly as the tenderest of kisses brushed against her lips. She was too afraid to speak, to wish, to think.

“Let’s run away.” 

**Author's Note:**

> As always, let me know what you think. Good? Bad? Ugly? Wait...wrong genre. 
> 
> Comments are adored, kudos are welcomed, and readership is appreciated. Feel free to check out my tumblr @thefabfan10 to see random posts and some hints as to what's to come.


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